That Stress-Induced 'Hamster in the Cage' Feeling Perpetuates Itself

Women are more stressed out than men. The health repercussions of chronic stress are widespread in women’s health and wellness studies. Natalie Angier writes this morning about how chronic stress feeds on itself.

In rats, researchers have observed that the neural circuitry in stressed-out brains actually changes. On the one hand, regions of the brain associated with executive decision-making and goal-directed behaviors had shriveled, while, conversely, brain sectors linked to habit formation had bloomed.

It was also determined that the rats couldn’t easy switch back to more goal-directed behavior. Most women know that stress-reduction should be a top health priority, but new research implies that we must get diligently serious about the challenge. via NYTimes